Knitting-machine.



m I r.

frz/ve nor.

Patented Oct. 23, 191

F. WiLCOMB.

VKNITTING MACHINE. APPLicATmN mw juLv s,

Zoo

F. WILCMB.

KNITTING MACHINE.

Amncavlon man JULY mi.

Patented oet. lem.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 5 Inv/e nto?? g @Frank wizcoma,

UNITEn STATES PATENT onrion;

FRANK WILcoMB, or NoBRIsToWN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNoR 'rol.wrmmmgtrl MFG.

- oo., or Nomus'roWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A oonPoItArrIoNA or PnNNsYLvANI'A.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patenti' i 23,. 7.

Application led July 5, 1916. Serial `u.l1l07,817.V l. l

To all wko/n, it may Concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK WILCOMB, a citizen oi. the United States, and resident of Norristown, Pennsylvania. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in KnittingMachines, -of which the followinsr is a specification. 4

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts .hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying features of my inventio-n.

Fig- .2 is a side view of the knitting head bf Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cap of the machine and associated devices.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of a removable sectional gib or ring to permit the removal of needles. *Y

Fig. 5 is a developed viewof the web holder cam.

Fig.' 6 is a detail sectional view of the means employed in pressing the needle beards; v

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the web holder cage. i

Fig. 8 :is a view of a web ring.

Fig. 9 shows a modification.

The .needle cylinder 1 may be of differeILt forms but.,for illustrating my invention I disclose one of tapered shape having the usual uide grooves.V The needles are driven by is hut they may be driven by direct machine or engagement with .needle cams. These cams are indicated generally at 3;

At the top of the needle cylinder 1s supported a web ring 1L having grooves orm,-

.ing continuations of those inJ the cylinder l for guiding the needles andhaving slotsl 5 for guiding the web holders 6.

, The nlechanism for pressing thelneedle beards may assume diiferent forms and still embody my inventionthcrein, but in the particular construction'illustrated this presser organization lincludes a presser wheel, or other member, 7 arranged inside of the needle circle or row and means outside said row. against which the beards are` pressed when the needles are forced or de-l lecte'd outwardly the inner presser mein` i ber or wheel bearlng` on theirbacks. The means outside'the needle row consists of a ring ror cylinderlike body 8 Whichis'su ported upon a shoulder'9 ofthe need e guiding wallsof the needle cylinder l andto whieh'vvalls it isolamped by screws 10 seated in a cage 11, hereinafter referred to, the said screwsbearing on soft metal yplugs or pins 12 mounted in the presser ring. The purpose of these soft metal plugs isto preventdamage to the needle guiding walls to which the' presser ring is clamped. y

The interior surface 12 of this presser ring, which is the; re'sser4 surface, is `at an inclination to the p ane or 'line of the.A needle movement and though the 4interior opening of the ring- 4may-'loe flaredfdownwardly its surface converges downwardly with respect to the needle-plane, so that as the needle recedes'. it movesv into a progressively eon tracting space. The invention, as above stated, is not 'limited'. to a taperedgneedle cylinder, nor is" it limited to the particular shape shown of' the 'interior of the presser ring. Y l:

One object of lthis improved beard pressing means is to maintain'such control ofthe beards after pressing vtakes place and the old loop ison the beard, as will prevent the straining or bursting of f these old loops which ordinarily is. due to the release oi*l the beard after itpasses into the old loop. In carrying-fout thispartof my invention I maintain the .beard in pressed'` 'or partly pressed'condition after the usul pressing function has been performed but at the same timeI ave-id crimping the'ioso of the needle which would result in' rendering VBy reason ofthe pressing surface 12ofv the` outside presser'ring being inclined to `the plane of the needle movement, the beard will be pressed as itferiters the pressing zone of theringanda continulng pressure will be 4applied .to "the lower end off'the beardas thexneedle moves toits low point, 41'00 but because of the iipward flare of the space in which theneedle is moving downwardlyv i" the nose of the needle will not be crimped and the needley therefore, will @not damaged.`

The inclined pressersurfacejwill hold the beard under vvresistive or controly ronLth-e ti'rnetheb through the old loop until the needle has `reached the 'lower linut oat itsv retrecting movement, .and thus; burst of the Old .lops will be avoided. Y. Here?! to ore it has been the practice to relieve the immediatel after thebee'rd. point-'has passed, 'through t e old loop, and es 'several adjoining needles 'Hredsposed etfone time with I'their beards throu h, the. l )1 1. |1 oo s, theselo S were, .by .there ease. 0f the beer; e, tutti,v t. to .oorsissreble strain fromtliese beards iet-ieg individually and e01- .Lghe'nng 1 ..t1..i.e.. eedlerlireleesed 'iti thus he needle is4 permitted tov resume itsynor'malworldng pleno; but the needle .benr still remains' contact 'With-the PSSr surface 12 Of 4t l'1e` outside. presser ringneedle nose tel bly a screw 18 passing throughe slot 19 of .t e bracket into 4Lthe cap 20 which inoloses the knitting ele ents, as will be lnude clear hereinafter. T is oepv is held n place by latches 20"dpivot'ed on pins 20 beneath the 5.7- en locked in place by springs 20" w c hhave projections entering openings 'in the 1atches. Thesprings also serve to holdthe'latches' on their pivots. The erm 15 at its free end is locked in position by n..IatchQl pivoted on the screw 22 passing through the bracket 23 into the cap or cover 20.., he free end of the arm l5 fits in. u. notch 24 of the bracket 23, Figs. 1 und';

I' and :the latchl works transversely through o. notch or slot 25 in the bracket 'and e notch 26 in the end of the arm.

' The latch is notched' at- 27 and when turned by pressure on the linger piece or projection 28, Fig. 3, this notch 27 brought lnto line with the free end of the :irin 15 Aluid said arm muy then be lifted, withdrawirg the presser Wheel 7 from within the beingeii'ected by pressure of vthe finger uponl 'the projection 27.

The arm 15 muybe adj usted to set the I presser wheel in thedesired position redially in lrespect to `the needle row by the Screw .and slot at 18, 195 and for this purpose also the bracket 23 is slotted back to the point-23" to permit the .free endof the afin 15 to partake of movement during this l edjnstment.

Adjustment of the presser wheel circumfferentilly ofV the needle row to set' it a-eeuposition for pressing the needles ted by turning V'the cap or cover20 Thisad nblock 28' rotatable on .the 'upper' reduced .ofthe post'or'standerdi which, with.

Qrts the cerrying erin 1 5.

ustinentls 'effected by Ineens 'of 11o,`

`v 1 the lupper struc'tnrecon-teinlng. the

this steso ninety turning the block about` l benin.. 'u'st'iq'ntof the i' ipsqefiiig have di-sented" 4e y insuring that the beards will seize it, the web so that the machine can be turned around and the needles can be operated without casting o'l' their stitches.

l Web tolders.

The machine shown is of such small diameter that it has been found impracticablc to employ sliding web holders because their inner ends would nearly or quite meet at the center of the cylinder, \vhich,'for illustration, may be only one-half inch in diamev, ter, and no room would be left for the fabric.

The web holders 6, therefore, are pivotally mounted at 34 in a plane considerably lower than their nose ends andat points a considerable distance out beyond the circle in which the nose ends lie, so that these nose ends willI more in4 the are of a circle. the

" which ordinal-il)7 would constitute the fabric by the needle beards.

. down in place bythe cap20.

vsupporting member need not have any movement beyond the inner surface of the web rirrilg 4.

his web holder performs the functions of supporting the newly fed yarn, while the needle, is taking it, thus providing a divisional space between the new yarn and the old loop for pressing; preventing the fabric from' rising when the needle 'advances to ztake lthe yarn, and feeding the new yarn in position against the needle Dstem to be4 taken For performing the first mentioned function i, e. of supportingY the new yarn separaed from the fabric loops, the yarn is sunply laid on the tops of the web holders and 4for feeding the yarn against thestems of the needles, preventing it from ballooning and holders are provided with abrupt shoulders 37, the vertical faces of which A,perform the The slotted formation guides the web hold- 4ers and sustains them laterally. The holders are simply dropped into place 4the whole series is'held Vin Aproper working web' and position by a guard plate or ring 45 which rests on their upper curved tops.

V This-ring fits within the upper rin 46 ofA the cage 1l, and thel outer ends of :these tails engage the cam grove or slot 48 of the web holder cam ring ,49, which encircles .the cage l1, and lies between said cage and the capor cover Q0 needing no other fastening or support. The presser unit 8 forms also a part of the web holder bed, being slotted to receii'e and guide theweb holders and being pinned at :30 to the web holder cagefll. The web holder cam ring a pin 51 dxtending ou't through a notch ,52 in the lowei` edge 'of the cap or cover 20 and when the pover is turned to adjust the presser Wheel "dto the' proper position circumferentially. tof the' needle row, thc web holder cam ring is likewise adjusted, by the pin51.

For adfusting the web holder cam section 1W', Fig. 5, vertically to get the proper throw of the web holders, I providev a vertically adjustable collar 53 on the post 29, which is adjusted by a nut 54 and held in any adjusted position by a. set screw 55.

`he collar is guided and held against; turning byfa pin 56 extending down from the ring 5T screwed to Athe posts 29, 29', said pin passing through the plate 58 on the collar. The collar has pins l59 llixed in its upper plate passing through slots 60 in the ring 57 into the cam section 49% of the web holder cam ring. Now by adjusting thecollar ver- .,tically the said cam sectipn will be adjusted also. The pin 51 `in this; adjus ing move-4 ment canmove u or dowln-in t e notchl`52 and .in all positions it will hold the web holdeiicam ring in proper circumferential` position.V

The described presser elements een be in straight bar machines. Y

Certain features `relating tb the needle; jack and rocking implements, such aswebl holders,4 have been made the subject of other applications,M Serial Numbers 107107.

-107108 and 107109, (renewal No. 175211,)

filed-July 1, 1916, and 136737, Dec.'.13, 1916. What I claiin is: y y i 1. In a springlheard needlejlnitting machine, vspring beard needles, a' presser device acting against the backs of the :needles to force them outwardly from their normal l plane, v.and presser means on the other side of the needle row against which the 4beards 4are presisedfsai'd 'latter-means iaving a presserI surface convergent in relation to .the normal p l'anecf retracting mpi'emeiitlof the needle, 4said surfatle actingto ,close the beard' to pass through theoldloop when y the web holder cage 11 and is held lt ereby /tlie needle is forced against it tr m 'its noragainst Y lateral 'd1sp1a'eement- It is held/nal plane and maintainingthe be. rd pressed y Any .web holder "can Abelifted out, rel-'i4 moving thecoveror cazpf20-and then li inge -oif thefga-rdplatepr ring 46 thus giving readyaccesstoHlt-heweb holders.

The web I holders have their en ipraons 35' Iguided in sloisbetween thewalls 47.' of

o5 partly pressed. during the remainder of` .the needlesretracting xnovement and after.'

the-needle has been released bythe-presser device4 firstmentionefd, substantiallylias de vice acting against the4 backs of the needles to force them outwardly from their` normal plane, and presser means on the other side of' the needle row against which the beards are pressed, said latter means having a presser' surface convergent in relation to the normal plane of rctracting movement of the needle, saidl surface actin to close the beard to pass through the old lgoop when the necdle is forced against it from its normal plane and maintaining the beard pressed or partly pressed after the inside. presser has released the needle. 4

3. In a circular spring beard needle knitting machine, a circular row of s ring beard need-les, means within the nee le row for forcing the needlesvoutwardly from their normal lane for pressing, means encircling the nee le row and having a pressing surface for cach needle convergent in respect t-o the normal plane of movement of the needle ,toward its, retracted'position, said encircling' means by contact with the beard of the deflected needle, closing the beard to pass through the old loop and thereafter holding the beard pressed or partly pressed during further-retracting movement of the needle, the convergent relation'of the pressthe beards v to Aing surfaceand t e normal working plane of the needle affording suilicient space to avoid crimpin the nose of the needle, substantially as escribed.

4. In a circular spring neexdle knitting machine, a circular of spring beard needles, meanfs within the4 needle circle for deilecting the needles outwardly from their normal plane for pressing, a ring like meinber encircling the needles and which closesass throu h the old loops when thegneed es eredeected, said ring having unattended surface converging or tapering in the direction of the retracting movcmcntof the needle relative to the normal working plane of the needle, said ex- 'tended` surface vmaintaining control of the needle-'beard to keep it pressed or partly pressed to prevent bursting the loops, substantially as described.

5. In comb ation in a circular knitting machine, s ring beard needles, a, presser device insirthe needle row to deflect the needles outwardly from their normal plane, a presser ringencircling the needle row and having a. surface to press the beards of the deflected needles, pivoted web holders, and bearings for the pivoted web holders carried by and arranged on the outer side of the said ring, substantially as describcd.

6. In combination in a circular' knitting machine, spring beard needles, a presser device inside the. needle row to deflect the noodles outwardly from their normal plane,- a presser ring encircling the needle row and having a surface to press the boards of' the deflected needles, pivoted web holders, and

bearingsv for the pivoted web holders carried by and ararnged on the outer side of the said ring, said ring bein slotted to guide the web holders between tie needles, and to divide the presser into separate units or surfaces one for 'each needle, substantially as described.

7. In combination in a circular knitting machine, spring beard needles, 'a presser device inside the needle row to deflect the needles outwardly from their normal plane, a presser ring encircling the needle row and having a separate needle surface for each needle to press the beards of the deflected needles, pivoted web holders spaced apart between the presser surfaces, and bearings for the same consisting of a radially slotted portion on the outer side olf'the ring grooved v circumferentially to receive the pivots of the web holders, .substantially as described.

8. In combination in a circular knitting machine, spring beard needles, a presser device inside the needle row to deect thev needles outwardly from their normal working plane, a ring encircling the needle row.

and having a surface against which the beards are pressed, said ring having an outer portion slotted and grooved, web holders having pivots seated in'the groove, said web holders being guided by the walls of the slots and having upwardly extending portions with fabric engaging noses thereon, the 'said ring being slotted to guide the nose ends of the web holders, said web holders having also outwardly extending arms, cams engaging the arms for operating them, and a slotted cage throu h ythe slots of which the arms extend an are guided, substantially as described.

9. In combination, spring beard needles, a. presser device inside the' needle row to defleet the needles outwardly from their normal plane, an outside presser means, a support for the inside presser device pivotally mounted to be swung out of normal position and thereby remove the inside presser, means for adjusting said support to set the presser in the desired relation to the needles, and means for locking the sup ort in its working position, substantially as described.

10. In combination, ring beard needles, a presser device inside t e: needle row to dellect the needles outwardly from their nor'- mal plane, an outside presser means, a su port for the inside presser device plvota y mounted to be swung out ofv normal position and thereby remove the inside presser, means for adjusting said support to set the presser in the desired relation to the needles, and means for locking the support in its working position, and a, thread guide mounted on the presser support, substantially as described.,

11. In combination, spring beard needles, a lnesser device inside the needle row for de I iiecting the needles outwardly, a presserA ring outside the needle row, web holder cams and means for simultaneously adjusting the inside presser device and the web holder cams circumferentially of the needle row, substantially as described.

12. In combination, spring beard needles,l

a presser device inside the needle rowor delecting the needles outwardly, a presser ri outside the needle row, web holders, we holder cams, and means for simultaneously adjustin the inside presser device and the 4web hol er cams circumferentially of the y. needle row,sa1d means lncludlng a c1rcum ferentially movable member and means on the fixed frame for turning the same, substantially as described. y

"13. In combination, spring beard needles, a presser device inside the needle row for deilecting the needles outwardly, a presser ring outside the needle` row, web holders, web

holder cams, and means for simultaneously i ad'usting the inside `presser device and the we holder cams circumfeientially of the needle row, said means including a capor/i cover member inclosing the webholder cams and web holders and connected with the inside presser device and said web holder cams,

substantially as described.

14. In combination, spring beard needles,

` a presser device inside the needle row for deflecting the needles outwardly, a presser ring outside the needle row, web holders, web holder cams, and means for simultaneously adjusting the inside presser device and the.

web holder cams circumferentially of the needle row, said means comprising a block on the fixed frame turnable about a pivot support, ay circumferentiall movable member connected to said insi e presser device and to the web holders cams and a pin and slotconnection betweenthe said block and said circumferentially movable member, substantially' as described.r p i 15. In combination in a circular knitting machine, spring ybeard needles, vice inside the needle row, a presser ring outside the needle row, web holders, a slotted cage in which the web holders are guided, a cap or cover member outside the cage and web holders,

their 4 pivotal presser device' 1n a presser deweb holder` cams held between the cage and the cover member, said cover member supporting the inside presser, substantially. as described. I 16. In .combination in a circular knitting machine, spring beard needles, a presser device inside the needle row, an outslde resser ring, pivotally mounted web holders avin upper 'concentriewith the pivots an having outwardly extending arms, said web holders beingberemovable upwardly from arings, cams engagin said arms, aremovable cover member 1n osin the cams and web holders and connected with said cams, saidcover member support- 4 ing the inside presser device', said removable cover holding the web holders in place through their concentric edges, substantially as described.

17. In combination in a circular knitting machine, spring beard needles, a device inside the needle row for deilecting the needles outwardly, a resser member outside the needle row, we holders, a member adjust' able circumferentially and carrying the said inside presser member, a b ed or cage for the web holders, web holder cams, a post for supporting the said -bed and cams, and a de vice turnable about the the circumferential member to set the inside proper position, substantially asdescri-bed.

1.8. In a circular knitting machine sprin beard needles individually movabllesxed' presser surfaces for the needle bea outside the needle circle, beyond the normal beard path, a needle deilector inside the needle row, Vmeans toadjust the deilector` against the needle stems. to force themr against the beards to close them, means to circle to disengage the deiectorfrom the needles to ermit o eratin the needles up and down in oil' the need es, and to give access to the fa ric needles, orinstruments, without dis-l :sesV

post for adjusting lift the deflector. by hand out of the needleVv rou h t e stitc es without cast- 

